jeffb, many thanks for your informative post. As with everything these days, a brief search online reveals a site dedicated to the history of the Fallingbostel POW camps.
Stalag XIB / 357 - Fallingbostel Military Museum
Interesting is this excerpt which underlines the different attitudes between British Army and RAF POWs to the duty of escape that Danny refers to. I suspect that this duty was instilled in RAF aircrew in their training, and certainly actively encouraged by the varied and imaginative escape aids with which they were equipped either prior to going on Ops or following capture. The latter had to be even more imaginative given that they had to be smuggled in Red Cross parcels disguised as everyday objects such as records or shaving brushes:-
Stalag 357 was a well run camp-although some tension existed between the British army pows and the RAF pows, as to the nature of activities within the camp. The RAF had an escape and intelligence committee that helped pows attempt to escape. It also supplied information to the allies on certain German activities. The army however was much more concerned with causing as little trouble as possible so arguments did ensure. Eventually a vote was held to decide on an overall policy and an overall head of operations, spokesman. The vote was carried overwhelmingly in favour of a RAF ;WARRANT OFFICER ;WO “JAMES “ DIXIE” DEANS who was to become 357s answer to RSM LORD.